With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, GK Elite has revealed the US gymnastics team’s leotards. In a special photoshoot with Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and the rest of the gymnasts, GK Elite revealed the unique leotards. However, the showcase also set the stage for what fans could expect to see when the LA Olympics arrives.

“For the very first time, USA Gymnastics Olympic kits are being introduced to the public prior to the Games!” GK Elite’s wrote on Instagram. The brand showcased multiple leotards with a combined total of 47,000 crystals and pearls. Simone Biles posed in the one with the most crystals. The Luminous Legacy competition leotard has over 10,000 crystals strewn into it. Yet despite the record-breaking number of crystals and pearls, Sunisa Lee gave the brand’s marketing officer Matt Cowan an the idea to push even further for LA 2028.

Matt Cowan revealed that the crystals and pearls make the suits a little heavier. However, gymnastics icon Sunisa Lee is getting used to the suits by warming up in them during warm-up. Lee even told him that she would like to be “covered in crystals.” While that won’t be possible this time, they may aim for it for the LA Olympics. “One day… A gymnast would say, ‘I’m here to compete in my armor of crystal,’ and we’re going to make it happen for them.” Cowan told The New York Times.

The tradition of upping the crystals in gymnastics leotards has turned into a competition at GK Elite. In 2016, the company announced it had reached the maximum crystal capacity of 5000, in a single suit. They proved themselves wrong in 2021 with 6,700. However, this year, the company truly outdid itself by breaking the 10,000 barrier and including pearls.

For the first time a GK Elite uniform, The Freedom’s Grace, incorporates 3,494 crystals and 970 pearls. The entire USA gymnastics team, including the men, posed in the various uniforms that they’ll wear in France. However, the decision to make the outfits more dazzling than ever was a well-thought-out one.

What inspired the glamorous gymnastics uniforms?

There was a reason why the company pulled off so many firsts with this year’s Olympics leotards. “We wanted to lean into that hard for Paris, the fashion capital of the world,” Jeanne Diaz, the director of design at GK Elite, told The New York Times. The design team incorporated “high fashion elements… corsetry, Art Nouveau architecture,” and “old Hollywood glamour of the 1920s.”

Incorporating so many stylized elements while ensuring the leotards allowed the gymnasts to perform was a challenge. However, the company brainstormed to make it a reality. Besides taking place in the fashion capital of the world, the Paris Olympics promises to be the most fashionable Games yet. French luxury brands such as Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Berluti, have dipped their toes into designing gymnastics uniforms. So the veteran manufacturer wanted to adorn the US gymnastics team with suits that exude elegance while retaining function.

From the first leotard to have over 10,000 crystals, to using a combination of pearls and crystals, GK Elite has once again set the bar. However, they themselves plan to beat their record when LA 2028 rolls around. So, what did you think of Team USA’s uniforms? Tell us in the comments.